Objectives

More frequent, severe torrential rainfall events due to climate change have increased human losses and economic damage. The number of people vulnerable to devastating floods will continue to rise due to large-scale urbanization, population growth in flood-prone areas, deforestation, climate change and rising sea levels. In the current COVID-19 environment, immediate attention in the world often focuses on preventing further virus infection. However, the threats of floods remain as imminent now as before the pandemic. If we fail to learn lessons and improve our society to become more resilient to changes and disturbances, flood disasters will hit humanity even harder.

Starting with the adoption of "The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030" at the third United Nations World Conference on DRR in March 2015, the international community agreed on the "Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" in September 2015 and "The Paris Agreement on Climate Change" in December 2015. To support and implement those agreements, concerted, solid and strategic actions should be taken to enhance climate and disaster resilience and sustainability.

Flood disaster resilience and sustainable development are closely and structurally interlinked. For this reason, it is necessary to understand their issues in a comprehensive manner beyond disciplines, promote holistic, integrated and interdisciplinary approaches, and conduct planning, implementation and evaluation for resolution. Based on this conviction, the ICFM9 will comprehensively discuss a wide range of related issues from scientific, technological, social and economic perspectives. In addition, the ICFM Lifetime Achievement Award and Erich Plate best student poster award will be presented at the conference.

The ICHARM is well positioned to serve as a local host of the ICFM9 in collaboration with several key organizations of Japan. Also, ICHARM will encourage and coordinate participation from many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America to liven up discussions to be held at the ICFM9.